10/7/2015 Print Page - A step by step guide to dirting your tank

Title:Astepbystepguidetodirtingyourtank
Postby:confusedmonkeysonNovember06,2012,08:44:10PM

IfyouarereadingthisthenImassumingyouwanttousedirtasasubstrateforyouraquarium
orwanttofindoutmoreaboutit.Wellyoureintherightplace!IlltrytocoverwhatIve
learnedaboutusingdirtintheaquariumaswellasguidingyouintherightdirectionformore
informationondirtedtanks.

Illstartbysayingonlyusedirtinyourtankifyouintendonhavingaheavilyplantedtank,you
couldonlydirtsectionsoftheaquariumandhavelessplantsbutIllleavethoseideasuptoyou
toconsider.Thereasonforusingdirtintheaquariumistoprovideanaturalsubstrateforyour
plantstothriveinatalowcost.Thedirtalsoprovidesthenutrientsthattheplantsneedto
survivewithouttheadditionofliquidortabletaquariumfertilizers.Anotherthingtonoteisthat
plantsabsorb4to40timestheamountofnutrientsthroughtheirrootsthanthroughtheir
leaves.(QuotedseveraltimesbyDustinfromfishtanktv).Usingagoodsubstratealso
eliminatestheuseofCO2injection,althoughCO2canbeaddedforadditionalgrowth.Anyway
thatsenoughofthereasonstousedirtinyouraquariumletsgetdowntobusiness.

Suppliesneeded

Anytopsoilfreefromweedkillers/artificialchemicals
http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/200247(http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/200247)(thestuff
Iuse)
Redpottersclay
Anemptycleanfishtank
Alotofplants(Iwillgiveroughnumberslateron)
Apumporpowerheadtoproducewaterflow
Afreedayortwo
Acappingmateriali.e.gravelorsand

WhattypeofsoildidIuse?

Aftermuchresearchandsearchingthroughvariousavailablesoils(thereisalotavailable
thoughnotallaregood)Idecidedtogowithwickesgradedtopsoil.Ittickedalltheboxes,itis
chemicalfree,asandyclaycompositionwithlittleorganicmatter.Perfectforanaquariumnot
sogoodforfruitandveg...butheythatswhatwearelookingfor.Iknowthatalotofthe
AmericandirtersusemiraclegroorganicpottingmixunfortunatelyitisntavailableintheUK
believemeIsearchedeverywhere.

WhydoIneedclay?

Youdontneedclayalthoughitprovidesirontotheplants,ironprovidesthatreddishlookto
plantsandisgoodforthem.Dontworrytheclaywontdoanydamagetoyourfishproviding
youseteverythingupcarefullyandpatiently.

WhatkindofpottersclaydoIuse?

AlongwithsoilIalsocameacrossamassivevarietyofavailableclays.Iendedupbuyingsome
DASairdryingterracottaclay.Iboughta500gblockandusedaroundafifthofitfora180l
tanktogiveyouanideaofhowmuchyoullneed.

WhydoIneedgravelorsand?

Thegravelorsandactsasabarriertoseparateyoursoilfromthewatercolumn.Thisstopsthe

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10/7/2015 Print Page - A step by step guide to dirting your tank

dirtfloatingaboutyourtankandmakingamess.Whetheryouchoosegravelorsandis
personalpreferenceIllcoverbothchoicesthough.

Step1

Emptyandcleanyouraquariumwithwarmwaterandaclothreadyforstartingyourdirty
adventure.Ifyouareconvertingyouraquariumtodirtandalreadyhavefishintheredont
worrythatswhatIdone.Youlljustneedalargetubpreferablywithalidtokeeptheminwith
aheaterandanairstoneorfilter.Theyllbefineintheretemporarilywhilstyouprepareyour
tank.Alsoifyouareputtingthesefishbackinaftertrytokeepasmuchaquariumwateras
possiblesotheydontgetshockedbynewwater.
Oncetheaquariumiscleanyouarereadytostart.ThefirstthingIdonewaspoursomedirt
intothetankstraightfromthebag.Onceyouhavesomedirtintheresoakitwithsomewater
(anywaterwilldosojustusesomecoldtapwater).Youdontwanttohavedirtfloatingin
waterjustenoughwatertosoakitandmakeitlikesludge.Adddirtuntilyouhaveyourdesired
depth,agooddepthis1.5to2.Togiveyouanideaofhowmuchdirtyoullneedeverylitre
ofsoilinthebagwillcover0.83lofyourtank.Sosayyouhavetofill20lforyouraquariuma
25lofwickestopsoilwillcoverthat.

Step2(optional)

Nowyouhaveyourbaselayerofsoilyouwillwanttoaddtheclayifyouhavechosentouse
clay(Irecommendusingclay).Foreverylitreofsoilusedyouwillwanttoaddabout5grams
ofclaysofor20lofsoilyouwillwanttoadd100gramsofclay.Thesearejustroughguidesfor
theamountyouuseandshouldnotbetakenasstrictrules,morelikelooseguidelines.Once
youhaveyourclaybreakitintomarblesizedchunksandspreaditevenlythroughthesoil
buryingitabouthalfwaydeep.

Step3

Timetocapthesoil.IfyouhavechosensandIrecommendcappingthesamedepthasthesoil
soifyouused2ofsoiluse2ofsand.OtherpeoplerecommendathinlayerofsandbutI
havehadgoodresultswiththesameratiosoIseenoharminaddingextra.Plusextradepth
meansthatsoilislesslikelytoseepintothewatercolumn.IfyouchoosetousegravelagainI
wouldrecommendusinga1:1ratio.Ifyoudousegravelmakesurethereisgoodparticle
distributionsothatgapsbetweenlargerparticlescanbefilledbysmallerparticles.Alsomake
surethegravelisnttoolargeotherwisesoilwillmakeitswaythroughandplantswillstruggle
torootthroughthegravellayer.
Beforeaddingthecapmakesurethesoilislikeasludgeandnotapondortoodry.Ifitistoo
wetthenitwillhardtocoverasitwillleakthroughintothewater.Ifitistoodryproblemsmay
arisewithtrappedairfurtherdowntheline.Rememberwhencappingthesoiltoaddthesand
orgravelslowlyandbepatient.

Step4

Nowitstimetoaddthehardscapesoanyrocks,woodordecorationsyouwanttoputinI
suggestdoingthatnow.Onceyouhavegotyourhardscapesetupyoucanbegintofillyour
tank.Thisiswhereyoureallywanttotakeyourtime.Anydisturbanceinthesubstratecould
undoallyourhardworktocoverthesoilandmakeamessofyourtank.Isuggestputtinga
plasticbagorplatedownonthesubstrateandslowlypourorputthehoseontothebagor
plate.Itwilltakeawhiletofillthetankbutitllbeworthit.Asforwhatwateryouuseagainit
doesntmatteratthisstagesocoldtapwaterwilldo.Onlyfillthewaterabouthalfwayforthe
firstfill.

Step5

Onceyouvegotyourtankfilledhalfwayitstimetoemptyittogetallthefloatingdebrisout
thatmanagedtomakeitthroughthesand.Ifyourwaterismuddybrownorcloudyatthis
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10/7/2015 Print Page - A step by step guide to dirting your tank

pointdontworrytheresafewmorefillanddrainstodo.Tryyourbesttosiphonoutthe
particlesthenitllleaveyoulessworktodo.Draintheaquariumgentlyasnottodisturbthe
substrate.
Onceyouvedrainedthetank,justdrainasmuchasyoucan,itstimetofillitagainsojustfill
itthesamewayasbefore.Ifitsstillreallydirtythenjustfillithalfwayifitsclearerfillit
higher.Youregoingtowanttodothistillthewaterisrelativelycleartoapointwhereyoudbe
happytolookatit.Ittookmeabout4refills.

Step6

Onceyourhappywiththetankitstimetodrainitonelasttime.Nowwhenyoufillitupyou
aregoingtowanttousewaterthatmatchesyourtanktemperatureofwhateveryoure
stocking.Fillthetankabouthalfwaythenplantallyourplants(ifyoudonthaveanyplantsyet
dontworryIdidnteither).Whenyouareplantingyourplantsbegentlesoyoudontdisturb
thesubstratetoomuch.Thesandorgravelshouldfillinleavingminimalmess.Onceyouhave
plantedthetankfillittherestoftheway.Nowyoucanturnonyourheater(s)andfilter(s)and
anyotherequipmentyoumightbeusing.YoucanalsoturnonthelightsifyouwantIllleave
thatuptoyoutodecidedependingonwhatyouwanttodonext.

TogiveyouanideaofthenumberofplantsIhavearound140160individualplantsinmy
rio180.

Step7

Onceyourtankhasbeenrunningforsayanhourortwocheckyourwaterparameters.My
ammonianitriteandnitrateallread0whichsaidtometherewasnonastysgettingthrough
thesoilintothewatercolumn.Ithendecidedtoaddmyfishbacktothetankwiththeirtank
water.IfyouhaveyourplantsalreadyinandnofishyetthenIsuggestwaitingafewdaysand
monitoringthetank.Ifyouarelikemeanddidnthaveplantsyetbuthadfisheverything
workedOKformebutitwasariskItooktoputthefishinwithoutknowingwhatthewater
woulddooverthenextfewdays.

Additionalnotes

Ifyoufeelthattheplantsarentintherightplaceoryoudontlikethemandwanttochange
them,thenyoucansolongasyouaregentle.Everythingyoudowiththetankandsubstrateis
justlikebeforeexceptgentlersoyoudontuncoverthedirt.

Idefinitelysuggestalotofresearchbeforemakingtheswitchtodirtthemoreyouknowthe
lesslikelythingsaretogowrong.Ialsosuggestnotdoingdirtifyoudontintendonhavinga
heavilyplantedtank.

Donothaveadirtedtankifyouhavefishthatliketodigunlessyouareconfidenttheywont
digthatdeep.

Donotusecoralsand.IuseditasitwasleftfrommymarinetankandmbunatankandthepH
wentupandup.FortunatelyInoticedandsaveditbeforeitwastoolatebutIhadtochange
thecoralsandtoplaysandanditwashardwork.Saveyourselfthehasslebydoingeverything
rightfirsttime.

Ifyourwateriscloudyafterwardsdontworryitisnormaljustkeepdoingpartialwater
changes.MywaterwasntcloudybutIhavenoticeditisquitecommonwithotherpeople.

Aboveallhavefun!Settingupatankthiswaywillsaveyoualotoftimeinthefutureandyoull
haveyourminiecosystem.

Usefulsourcesofinformation
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10/7/2015 Print Page - A step by step guide to dirting your tank

Thewalstadmethod
YouTubechannelDustinsfishtanks
YouTubechannelMrJoeGecko
http://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php?topic=34151.0
(http://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php?topic=34151.0)mydirttank

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